Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A Richton Park man secured a felony weapons charge after an officer allegedly caught him with a green Glock 19 under his seat in his car. The man was allegedly speeding on Monee Road, sailing at 72 mph in the 30 mph residential strip, according to police. The man cooperated completely with police and reportedly admitted he had no reason to be speeding.
The Specifics
Police arrested Ahmari V. Knight, 26, 5102 Keith Dr., Richton Park, on November 2 and charged him with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon (a felony), aggravated speeding (35+), and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
An officer was conducting stationary radar speed enforcement near Monee Road and Tamarac Street at 8:36 PM. He reported seeing a blue 2016 Nissan Maxima traveling northbound on Monee Road at an alleged speed of 72 mph in a 30 mph zone. The officer followed the Nissan as it allegedly continued to travel above the speed limit, according to police.
The officer initiated a traffic stop and curbed the Nissan on Monee Road at Monee Court. Ahmari Knight, from Richton Park, was the sole occupant in the car.
According to the report, Mr. Knight allegedly acknowledged that he was speeding and said he did not have any reason for going so fast. The officer learned that Mr. Knight had a valid FOID card.
Two other officers arrived on the scene to assist. Police asked Mr. Knight to get out of the vehicle. He complied. They took him into custody without incident.
Officers Find a Green Glock
Mr. Knight told officers there was a firearm was inside the car.
Police found a green Glock 19 loaded with 14 live 9 mm rounds and no round chambered. The Glock was under the driver’s seat. They also found a Glock magazine with two live 9 mm rounds in the center console. Officers also located one rifle round from the driver’s door, according to the report.
Police had a company tow Mr. Knight’s vehicle per village ordinance. They took Mr. Knight into custody on suspicion of aggravated speeding and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to police.
Mr. Knight allegedly told police that he knew he did not have a valid concealed carry card, according to police. He allegedly added that he should not have had his firearm loaded under his seat, according to police.
An Assistant State’s Attorney from Will County approved a felony charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to the report.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those police arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on what is in the reports that the police furnish to us. As those accused are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.
eNews Park Forest has continuously published the addresses of those arrested and will continue to do so. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 states that the governmental body (for these reports, the Police Department), shall release information on those charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes all those whom police arrest are innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest not to remove items from the public record from publication. Suppose you find your name in the police reports. Our policy is that we will only add information relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, e.g., “Mr. Smith was subsequently acquitted,” “Mr. Smith entered a guilty plea,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were subsequently dropped.” We will do so upon receiving and verifying proof of such disposition.
We do not strike, “unpublish,” or delete news.
Police captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras by officers at the respective scenes, according to police. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officials typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in the reports.
We encourage persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.
